Box structure



Aug. 18, 1942. w. H. INMAN- a'ox STRUCTJRE. L ned March 14, 1940 Mummy Cm ihs %wATToRNEYs {3 Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED A STATES j PATENT- OFFICE William 11. Ionian. Newark, 8.1.. nelilnor to V Bleomerhroa Companr,N -N.'!.,aeorporaflonothlewtork Application March 14,194.,8erialllc. re

My invention relates to box structures. An obiect o! my invention is to provide a box which may be inexpensively iabricated and which is convenient to pack and handle.

Another obiect oi. my invention is to provide an improved box structure in which a handle section is provided tormed integrally with the box and adapted to be folded down natwise against the side walls oi. the box.

Other objects and edvantaces or my invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims and will be apparent irorn the iollowing description. when taken in connection with the accompanyin: drawina, in which:

Fit. 1 is a side elevation oLthe structure oi my invention; 1 Fla. 2 is an and elevation oi. the box showinii. in dotted lines. cane contained in the boxstrucure; Fin. 3 is a sectional thelinel-eloil ia. l;

Fla. 4 is an and elevation oi th box, with the box in carrying position;

Fig. 5 is a view ehowins the manner novel box view takensubs tantially on in which the blank for making the box is cut and scored:

F l- 6 is a view showing the blank oi. Fig. 5 folded in the position the parts occupy when shipped irom the box manufacturer;

Fig. 'l is an end elevation oi Fig. 6, and

Fix. 8 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 3, showing the handle structure in active carryinz position.

The blank from which the box or carton of my invention is termed, is shown in Fig, '5. The blank may be of any suitable material, but preferably is of relatively stii'! paperboard or cardboard. The blank is out and scored so as to provide, what may be considered. a top wall ii, a bottom wall 12, and front and rear walls I! and M, respectively. .The bottom well ii! i separated from the trout and rear walls by score lines It and I1, and between the front wall It and the top wall II a handle section, generally indicated by the numeral i8, is provided,

The handle section It comprises two flaps l9 and 2! which are separated by a fold line 22. The handle section It is separated irom the top wall II by a fold line 23, and irom the iront wall it by c. {old line '24. Formed integral with the top wall Ii and separated therefrom by a fold line 2., is a flap ered with any suitable :adhesive.

Formed integral with the bottom, front. and rear walls are a pair of flaps, generally indicated by the numerals 8i. and 32. The flaps are sep- 21. the suriacc of which is cov-.

arated from the bottom, front, and rear walls by told lines 88 and ll. Formed as extensions oi the score orfold lines It and II are score lines 36 which divide the flaps SI and 82 into flap sections." and 3!. outward ircm the corners or the bottom section i2, and dividing the flap sections 31 .into two parts. are told lines ll.

Formed inteeral with the top section II and separated therefrom by score lines 41 are flaps 42 which preferably taper toward their outer margins. After the blankhas been out and scored, as shown in Fig. 5, the top H and the flap Ii 01' the handle section are folded on the score or told line 22, so that the top is superposed with respect to the front wall It. The rear wall H and the lions I! are then folded along the score lines i6 and the extensions thereof 38, so as to superpo ecithe rear wall It with respect to the bottom II. This brings the edge 4| in overlapping relation with the glue flap 21, so that the rear wall It is adhesively secured to the Hop 21. The box is then in the condition shown in Figs. 6 and 7.. In this condition the box is adapted to be shipped from the box manuiacturer to the manufacturer of the articles with which the box is to be used.

In the drawing, I have illustrated the box of my invention in use for packaging canned goods. However this'is merely by way or illustration, as it will be readily apparent that the box is suitable for other purposes. For example, by varying the dimensions, it may be used for shipping bottled goods or for any other desired purpose.

When the box is to be used to package cans, as illustrated in the drawing, the parts of the box may be shifted to a position such that the top wall li lies above and is parallel to thebottom wall i2. With the parts in this position, the flaps and 8|, at one end of the box, may be used to iorm an end closure. This is accomplished by folding the flap sections 31 inwardly along their diagonal score lines 39 so that parts of the flap sections 31 are superposed with respect to each other and overlie portionsoi the flap 3B. .iA pocket is thus formed between the inner wall or the flap 3B and the flap sections 31, into which pocket the flap 42 may be tucked. After the fiap 38 has been moved to a right angle position with respect to the top wall, on end closure is termed in which the flap or tongue It lies in the pocket formed by the flap section 3|, so as to lock the parts in this position. The upfilled with cans by moving the cans into the box Extending diagonally in an endwisc manner. Alter the box has been illled with the number of cans for which it is designed, as (or example six cans, as shown in the drawing, the flap sections 12 and 42 at the open end of the box, are closed and locked in position in the manner previously described. The box then forms a complete closure for the cans.

Formed in each of the handle sections it and II is a hand hole 41, in one of which the material is entirely cut-out, and in the other of which the flap I8 is provided by leaving a hinge line 48 along one edge. The flap 48 is normally adapted to lie as shown-in Fig. 3, but may be hinged on the fold line 49 so as to extend through the opening 41. formed in the other'handle flap section 28,

' so that the structure appears as shown in Fig. 8.

Adjacent the hand hold, I preferably employ a line of gluing 3!. This glue area, when the bandle sections are superposed with respect to eachother, extends'preferably from the lower edge oi from separating and the adjacent portions of the box from spreading adjacent the handle. The use of a glue area to hold the naps of the handle together is particularly desirable when the box is made from relatively thin stock. If desired the flaps oi the handle section may be secured together by staples or other suitable While the box or carton structure of my invention is adapted to be used by itself and shipped, as shown in the drawings, it is usual to tons 0! my invention are packaged in the eni veloping carton the handle section may be swung upon the fold lines 23 and 24 so as to lie flatwise against one of the side walls 01' the box. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the handle section has been swung so as to lie flatwise against the front wall ii. If desired, the handle could be swung so as to lie flatwise against the top wall ii.

After the carton has been received by the retailer or other dealer in the goods packaged, the goods may be sold in their individual boxes or cartons. The custom of merchandising goods by selling a number of cans at a somewhat reduced price is quite prevalent, and the box of my invention makes it convenient for the retailer to sell, for example, six cans oi goods in a completely enclosed package, which the consumer may handle conveniently in transporting the cans from the store to his h'ome.

While I have shown the box or carton in use for packaging six cans, it will be appreciated that the carton may be of any desired size, within the limits dictated by the convenient handling thereoi. When the box is carried by the handle, the box swings with respect to the handle to the position dictated by its center of gravity, so that the box is carried in a somewhat diagonal position, as shown in Fig. 4.

Of importance, in connection with the box of my invention, is the fact that the box may be filled endwise. Moreover, the handle is formed by extending the side walls so that the handle 2 ascents lies along a longitudinal edge of he box. Thus the strain caused by the weight of the articlw in the box, when the box is carried, is not or plied on the end closures. This is of importance in. connection with boxes of this character, as it will be appreciated that the end flaps are not sealed in any manner, and if the weight of the cans were applied on these they would be likely to open.

While I have shown the handle as being formed by two flaps i9 and it, by cutting the blank somewhat d flcrently, the handle section may be formed from a single flap, or, if desired, the blank may be cut so as to provide a handle flap section at each end of the blank. While I have shown and described the preferred form or my invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therein, particularly in the form and relation of parts, without departing .from the sphit of my im v than as set forth in the appended claims. 1 the hand hold to the i'old'lines 23 and 'Hand pi'events the flaps Is and ii of the handle sections lapsed condition own folding a hat blank of paperboard sheet material on only two fold mess,

I. A box adaptesi to he formed into initial colsaid box including four side wall sections, two handle sections, and a securing flap all integrally hlngedvto each other and formed from a single piece'of paperboard sheet material, said two handle sections being integrally hinged directly to each other and each of the handle sections being integrally hinged directly to one oi the side wall sections, said two handle sections being folded upon each other about the hinge line between them and being secured in superimposed relationito each other, said securing flap being integrally hinged directly to one of the side wall sections and being overlapped with and secured to another of the side wall sections remote from the wall section to which said fiap is hinged when'the parts are in fiat blank condition but adjacent thereto when the parts are formed into said initial collapsed condition, said securing flap when the box is in formed condition being spaced from said handle sections by the width of at least one of the side wall sections.

2. A blank of paperboard sheet material adapted, upon being folded along only two fold lines, to be formed into a collapsed box capable of being later erected, said blank being subdivided by score lines to form four side wall sections, two handle sections, a securing flap, and a plurality of and closure sections, the two handle sections lying adjacent each other and between two of the side wall sections, three of the side wall sections being on one side of the two handle sections and the fourth side wall section being on the other side of the two handle sections, the end closure sections. being adjacent the end edges of the side wall sections, and the securing flap being next to the edge remote from the handle sections of said fourth side wall section, the parts being proportioned so that when said blank is folded upon itself about a first fold line between the second and third side wall sections from the handle sections, and also about a second fold line between the two handle sections, the two handle sections will be brought into superimposed relation to each other and the securing flap will be brought into superimposed relation to a free marginal portion of said third side wall section.

WILLIAM H. ZNLKAN. 

